David GrimmCOVID-19 dominated the headlines this year, and our Breakthrough of the Year as well. But there was a lot of other important science news, and some fun stories to boot.

For those of you looking for a pandemic break, here are some of our most popular non–COVID-19 stories of the year, along with some personal favorites—almost all of them stories we reported first.Scientists discover virus with no recognizable genesAre they alive?

Are they dead? Viruses are some of the strangest things on Earth. Now, scientists have discovered one that has no recognizable genes, making it the weirdest among an already weird bunch.One of quantum physics’ greatest paradoxes may have lost its leading explanationWhen it comes to weird, however, quantum.

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23 of the strangest things that happened in Florida in 2020

ORLANDO, Fla. – No matter what part of the world you live in, 2020 has been an odd and confusing year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all the misery it brought with it, but if you call Florida home, things were even weirder.On top of the aforementioned COVID-related pitfalls, the Sunshine State also had to deal with the ever-troublesome Florida man, an unusual amount of alligators and some things that are just too bizarre to try to fit into a neat little list.As we prepare to head into hopefully what will be a better and brighter 2021, we’re taking a look back at some of the strangest things that happened in Florida this year.1. Mask meleesThere was a point in time where nearly every week there was a headline about some kind of

state Florida 2020 pandemic mask

AT&T to waive data overage charges for customers impacted by outages due to Nashville bombing

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - AT&T will waive data overage charges for wireless for it wireless and prepaid customers who may have been affected by the explosion near the telecommunications giant's central office in Nashville on Christmas Day.The country's largest mobile services provider, will be waiving data overage charges for customers in 1,166 zip codes across from Sunday through New Year’s Eve.

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McConnell praises Trump for signing COVID-19, government funding bills

Mitch McConnell praised President Trump late Sunday for signing a $900 billion pandemic package and a $1.4 trillion government funding bill to avert a government shutdown.McConnell said in a statement that he applauds Trump’s "decision to get hundreds of billions of dollars of crucial COVID-19 relief out the door and into the hands of American families as quickly as possible."The Kentucky Republican admitted that the compromised bill is not perfect, "but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now."RELATED: Trump signs COVID relief bill granting stimulus checks, jobless benefitsTrump said he would send Congress a "redlined version" that includes items to be removed. He

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Home of TOWIE is Covid hotspot with 1,111 cases in 1 week as virus hits stars' families

The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inboxThe home of TOWIE is now now one of the biggest Coronavirus hotspots in England as cast members share heartbreaking stories of the bug.Brentwood, in Essex, has the highest infection rate in England, with 1,111 new cases recorded in the week to December 23.That is the equivalent of a staggering 1,442.5 cases per 100,000 people.It comes as one of TOWIE’s most famous faces, Gemma Collins, thanked NHS doctors for treating her father as both her parents battle Coronavirus.Sharing a photo of her parents she begged her two million followers to "please take notice and keep your loved ones safe".Gemma's dad has been receiving treatment at

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Cold weather alert issued by Public Health England after wintry conditions hit Greater Manchester and other parts of UK

direct to your inboxA cold weather alert has been issued by Public Health England after wintry conditions hit our region and other parts of the UK overnight.It said the severe weather forecast for parts of England - which is expected to continue into Tuesday morning - has led it to issue the warning, which reminds people how to stay well in cold conditions.Severe winter weather forecast for parts of England from 6am Sunday, December 27 to 9am Tuesday 29 December has prompted Public Health England (PHE) to remind people how to stay well in cold conditions, it said.The north west, north wast, west Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber have experienced the coldest weather since Sunday morning.Frosty conditions are expected overnight on Monday

Britain city Manchester covid-19

Serum Institute expects India nod for Covid-19 vaccine emergency use in next few days: Report

Serum Institute of India, which is also manufacturing the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in India, said on Monday it expected the government to approve the shot for emergency use in a few days, reported Reuters.Serum Chief Executive Adar Poonawalla also told reporters that the company had already made 40 million to 50 million doses of the vaccine.According to a Mint report, India is likely to approve Oxford-AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine for emergency use by next week after its local manufacturer submitted additional data sought by authorities.This could be the first country to give the regulatory green light for the British drugmaker's vaccine as the British medicine regulator continues to examine data from the trials.Currently,

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2020 holiday sales tick up as shoppers invest in their homes

NEW YORK – Retail sales increased a modest 3% during a longer holiday season this year, as homebound shoppers spent more on furnishing and food but less on clothing and jewelry, according to figures released Saturday by a firm that tracks all forms of payments.The increase fell short of predictions from the National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, which had expected sales to rise between 3.6% and 5.2% this year compared to 2019.As expected, a surge in online shopping fueled much of spending. Online sales rose a record 49% year-over-year between Oct.

New York 2020 pandemic Department

South Africa logs million Covid-19 cases as pandemic surges worldwide

South Korea on Monday became the latest country to detect the new coronavirus variant, as the pandemic showed no signs of letting up.Global infections have raced past 80 million with nearly 1.8 million deaths, even as vaccination drives gather pace in North America and Europe, with a top US expert warning that the pandemic might get even worse in the coming weeks.Also Read | Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy codeThe explosion of cases worldwide in recent weeks has prompted the return of many unpopular restrictions, including some lockdowns, and concerns have grown after the detection of a new virus variant experts believe could be more transmissible.South Africa became the first African nation to log one million cases, official data showed

South Korea Usa India South Africa pandemic vaccine infection

Non-urgent hospital services in Scotland could be halted by Covid surge, warns expert

on Christmas Day.Scots were able to meet in groups from up to three households on December 25 despite warnings of more infectious strains of coronavirus arriving in the country.Dr Taylor did not condemn the Scottish Government’s decision to relax the rules for a day as it allowed people to spend valuable time with loved ones.Speaking to the BBC, she said: “Everybody has been working over the last nine months to try and ensure that we catch up with the backlog, and we will continue to do that.“But the harsh reality is that some places that are under pressure, some of that non-urgent work will have to be paused, we have to focus on urgent work and we have to be able to roll out the vaccination programme.”She added: “There are hidden harms

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New coronavirus strain: South Korea detect three cases amid third wave

South Korea, health authorities said Monday.The three individuals are members of a London-based family who arrived in the country on December 22, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.Also Read | Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy codeThey have been placed in isolation since testing positive for Covid-19 on arrival, the KDCA statement said.The new strain of the virus emerged earlier this month in Britain and has already reached several European countries, as well as Canada, Jordan and Japan.Last week London said another new variant of the virus was found in the country in cases linked to South Africa, which is the first African nation to record one million coronavirus cases.The new strain, which experts fear is more

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Siri Fiske: Social isolation amid coronavirus – here are the dangers facing our children

As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, millions of students are once again shifting to all-remote learning. Between Sunday, Nov. 22 and Monday, Nov. 23, the percentage of students exclusively attending school online jumped from 36.9 to 40 percent.

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Piecemeal data releases threaten to undermine Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac could undermine confidence in the shot, experts warned, as several countries prepare for mass inoculations with the vaccine.Turkish researchers said on Thursday Sinovac's CoronaVac was 91.25% effective based on an interim analysis only to see a confusing readout the same day from Brazil which said the vaccine's efficacy was between 50% and 90%.Brazil has also delayed release of its efficacy data on the vaccine three times, as Sinovac seeks to consolidate data from global trials that include Indonesia, Turkey and Chile.The efficacy data is closely watched as many developing countries have signed deals to use the Sinovac vaccine which is easier to store and transport than rival shots developed by

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Gujarat: Covid-19 vaccination dry run begins in two districts

Gujarat, officials said.Gujarat is one of the four states chosen by the Centre to conduct the mock Covid-19 vaccination drive.Also Read | Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy code"In Gujarat, the dry run is being carried out in Rajkot district, Rajkot city, Gandhinagar district and Gandhinagar city," State Immunisation Office Dr Nayan Jani told reporters.He said local health officials of these districts and cities will engage in administrative work on the first day of the drive."The actual field visits will begin on Tuesday," Jani said, adding that actual (potential) vaccine shots will not be administered on people during the dry run.Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) has identified 125 beneficiaries in the city who will be covered during

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Tragic death of Perth and Kinross councillor is "brutal reminder of how unforgiving COVID can be"

Perthshire North MSP was one of many to pay tribute to the SNP councillor, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 68.

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Chinese journalist who 'reported truth' of Wuhan Covid outbreak jailed for four years

A Chinese journalist who reported the alleged truth of Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years

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Kaitlyn Bristowe Has Lost Her ‘Smell And Taste’ After Testing Positive For COVID-19

Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s is opening up about her COVID-19 battle.

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'The Bachelorette' star Kaitlyn Bristowe reveals her COVID-19 symptoms

Kaitlyn Bristowe took to social media on Sunday to share a health update after she announced that she and her boyfriend Jason Tartick tested positive for COVID-19. The former "The Bachelorette" star revealed that she initially thought she knows how the disease works.

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Opinion | Co-working spaces - Reinventing Indian office market in pandemic times

Cost-effectivenessOwing to the economic impact of the pandemic, setting up office space on a long-term lease may be financially imprudent for small and medium scale organisations, especially when evaluated on a cost per employee basis. The coworking segment plugs the gap with hassle-free services for occupiers and charges are significantly lower across a wide rate-spectrum.

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‘I actually like cried’: A struggling photographer tweets about looking for work, Oprah responds

NEWARK, N.J. - Malcolm Manning was about to break away from photography when he captured his biggest client: Oprah Winfrey.It started with his tweet on Dec. 9 as he looked for work."Hello I am a 23 year old photographer from Newark, New Jersey eager to create," he posted.

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Dua Lipa's boyfriend Anwar Hadid slammed for being a Covid-19 'anti-vaxxer'

Anwar Hadid has been slammed after claiming that he would 'absolutely not' get the new Covid-19 vaccine.

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Derry Girls, GAA and Ulster Rugby stars among influencers used to promote Covid-19 messaging

Covid-19. The Department of Health engaged two leading PR companies in Belfast in a bid to reach younger people with viral online posts and videos from influential figures.

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Global shares soar as Trump signs Covid relief bill. Here's how markets reacted

Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy codeS&P futures rose .6% in the first trade after ChristmasU.S. S&P futures rose 0.62% in their first trade after the Christmas holiday, edging near a record touched last week.On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index gained 0.4% to 3703.06 on Thursday in its last pre-Christmas trading day.

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80% of new Covid-19 cases reported from 10 States, Union Territories: Govt

new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country were reported from 10 states and Union Territories (UT).These 10 states/UTs include Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.Also Read | Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy code"79.61% of the new cases are from 10 States and UTs. Kerala continues to report the highest daily new cases at 4,905.

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Looking back at the good news of 2020

From a heroic senior to the ‘Kid of the Year’, there were plenty of feel-good stories over the past year of bad news. Crystal Goomansingh breaks down what gave us hope and joy in 2020.

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Coronavirus: Trump signs US$900 billion COVID-19 relief bill after initial refusal

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the US$900 billion COVID-19 relief bill on Sunday evening, just days after criticizing the bill for how much it was offering Americans in one-time stimulus relief cheques.

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2020: The year the health service faced its greatest challenge

In a normal year in health, there are usually some constants, such as hospital overcrowding, long waiting lists and major funding pressures.

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AP source: Padres have deal in place to get Snell from Rays

The San Diego Padres are close to completing a blockbuster trade to acquire star pitcher Blake Snell from the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays.The teams have an agreement in place and Snell was told he’ll be sent to the Padres — subject to the review of medical records, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press late Sunday night on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.In return, Tampa Bay was expected to receive a package of prospects from the Padres.

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Coronavirus: Europe officially rolls out COVID-19 vaccines in effort to combat pandemic

Europe officially launched its massive COVID-19 vaccination drive on Sunday with pensioners and medics among the first to get their shots.

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Covid hospital cases surge towards first wave peak as fears grow over pressure on NHS

NHS services as well... ambulance trusts in particular are coming under extreme pressure, as are community and mental health services".

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Fans defend Jennifer Aniston from backlash to coronavirus-themed Christmas ornament

Jennifer Aniston attends the 57th Annual ICG Publicists Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 07, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E.

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Trump signs massive measure funding government, COVID relief

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown.The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as an increase in food stamp benefits.The signing Sunday, at his private club in Florida came amid escalating criticism over his eleventh-hour demands for larger, $2,000 relief checks and scaled-back spending even though the bill had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins.

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Businesses adapt better to Covid after lessons learned from spring surge

Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy codeThis fall, by the time infections surged again, Mr. Broadbent added another bigger warehouse to allow employees to social distance and keep safe.

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Scottish Labour leader calls for financial relief for low income families in Covid crisis

Covid-19 crisis.Leonard argued arrears on household bills and council tax among low-income Scots should be suspended until the Holyrood election in May.He wants the UK government to regulate pay day loan companies and waive interest payments.Leonard said: "Christmas and the new year are always periods that lead to a surge in debt for poorer and hard-pressed families."Nine months of Covid hardship will inevitably make this burden so much worse for households."A huge personal debt crisis is being caused by Covid as people being furloughed or losing their jobs and others on welfare benefits are unable to pay their rents, mortgages and other essential bills."This is made worse by the high level of interest rates being charged and by

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Scots couple 'abandoned' at wrong airport 150 miles from home by Jet2 after Christmas break cut short over Covid fears

Christmas holiday in Lanzarote cut short have hit out at Jet2 after they were ‘abandoned’ at Newcastle International Airport - 150 miles from home.Gran Brenda McManus and husband Tony forked out £2500 before flying to Lanzarote on December 20 for their annual two week festive break.The East Kilbride couple received a phone call from the travel operator on Christmas morning telling them they were to be flown home on Boxing Day - nine days early.The 57-year-old was told that the Spanish Government was asking all British tourists to leave before December 28 amid fresh Covid-19 fears. The airline said the couple would be flown to Newcastle as no flights to Glasgow were available on Boxing Day and a bus would drive them back to Scotland.But when

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Adams shines in snow as Packers trounce Titans 40-14

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Davante Adams caught three of Aaron Rodgers’ four touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers trounced the Tennessee Titans 40-14 for their fifth consecutive victory on a snowy Sunday evening.The Packers (12-3) already have clinched the NFC North title and can earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs if they win at Chicago (8-7) or Seattle (11-4) loses at San Francisco (6-9) next week.Green Bay ran wild behind 124 yards and two touchdowns from A.J.

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Coronavirus: Hamilton hits new high for active COVID-19 cases on the weekend

COVID-19 cases on the weekend and recorded a new daily high of 1,226 active cases on Dec. 27.There have been seven more coronavirus-related deaths in the city since Christmas Eve.

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India's Covid-19 tally climbs to 1.02 cr with 20,021 new cases; active cases drop to 2.77 lakh

coronavirus cases on Monday stood at 20,021. Up to 279 fresh fatalities were recorded in a span of 24 hours, pushing the overall death toll since the outbreak in January to 1,47,901.The country's overall positive Covid-19 cases stood at 1,02,07,871, with 2,77,301 active cases.

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Trump signs covid-19 aid Bill Averting government shutdown

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.Click here to read the Mint ePaperMint is now on Telegram. Join Mint channel in your Telegram and stay updated with the latest business news.

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Trump says the Covid relief bill is much more restoring unemployment benefits

Urgency to fix India’s bankruptcy codeIn surprise move, Trump signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package Sunday evening at his private club in Florida, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown.The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.The signing came after a day of vocal criticism from Republicans and Democrats over his objections to the bipartisan agreement, which passed the House and Senate by large margins with lawmakers believing

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President Trump signs COVID relief, spending bill averting shutdown. So what happens now?

President Trump’s Sunday night decision to sign the combination COVID relief/government spending plan averts a shutdown tomorrow night.The government was funded through 11:59 p.m. Monday. But Mr.Trump’s signature means the government is now funded through September 30, 2021.

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United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0

Our favorite science news stories of 2020 (non–COVID-19 edition)

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